Electroplating apparatus



Aug. 31,1926. 1,597,862

I C. G. MILLER ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS Filed June 2. 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 1 [Zach-P24222525 (do? flier Q9 50 Z? a Cleaning Aug. 31 1926. 1,597,862

c. G. MILLER ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS Filed June 2. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 31 1926.

c. e. MILLER ELEGTROFLATING APPARATUS Filed June 2, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 31,1926; 1,597,862

, c. G. MILLER ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS Filed June 2, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Aug. 31 1926.

Filed June 2, 1924 5 sheets sheet 5 Patented Au 31, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,597,862 PATENT OFFICE- cons'ren'rmn e1 mILLEI't', or cnrcneo, ILLINOIS, nssrenon TO THE MEAKER comrm, A conromrron or ILLINOIS.

. ELEGTROPLATIIFG APPARATUS.

Application filed June 2,

This invention relates to electroplating and cleaning apparatus suitable for cleaning and subsequently electroplating metallic articles.

In such apparatus it is customary to use a series of tanks for cleaning,.rinsing, electroplating, rinsing and so forth. Hereto fore the transferring of the articles to be plated from one tank to the next has involved a great amount of labor.

One of the principal objects, therefore, of the present invention is to provide an elec ..troplating apparatus in which the articles are moved through each tank and then transferred to the next tank automatically and without hand labor.

Other and further important objects ofthis invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawings 30 and the following specification.

The invention (in.a preferred form) is illustrated on the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings 3 Figure 1 is a side elevation of the entire apparatus. Figure 2 is a plan view of one portion thereof.

Figure'3 is an end view of the same. Figure 4 is a longitudinal. vertical central section through a portion of the apparatus, Figure 5 is a side elevation of an enlarged scale of one end of the apparatus.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of one of the hanger supports andcontact shoes and chain connected thereto.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 77 of Figure 6. a

' Figure 8 is a side elevation of one of the conveyor chains and hanger supporting links carried thereby.

Figure 9 is a front view of the same. FigurelO is a side elevation of the same parts -at their upper point of travel.

Figure 11 is a side e lgezation of one part of the driving mechani Figure 12 is a plan view of the same.

As shown on the drawings 2-- The apparatus comprises a series of tanks, conveniently constructed of wood, arranged in a row which may be designated as cleaning tank 15,- light acid dip tank 16, cold water rinse tank 17, electro-strike tank 18, 55 cold water rinse tank 19, electro-plating tank 1924. Serial No. 717,?56.

20, cold water rinse tank 21, and hot water rinse tank 22.

These tanks are supported by channel beams 23, the ends of which are-supported by the side girders 24 of the framework of the apparatus. This framework isof usual construction so need not be described in detai An endless chain 25 passes along each side of the row of tanks slightly. above their upper margin. This chain is supported by sprockets 26' carried by the framework and a device 27 for taking up any slack in the chain. a

At intervals along this chain are pivotally connected a series of shoes28, which, as the chain is travelling along the lower portion of its course ride along a pair of bus-bars 29 and make electrical contact therewith.

These shoes also serve the purpose of supports for the ends of bars 30 forming part of the hangers from which the articles to be plated are suspended. For this purpose ribs 34 are providedjon the inner face of the shoes to form a notch for the reception of the bars 30. Depending from these bars 30 are a series of rods 31 having cross pieces 32 secured thereto, the latter having bent ends to ensure engagement with the articles 33 to be plated.

The chain 25 serves to move the hangers throu h the'tanks but means mustalso be provi ed for lifting the hangers out of one tank and dropping them'into the next. For this purpose a series of vertically arranged conveyor chains 35 are provided passing around sprockets 36. The conveyor-chains 35 are arranged inside the chains 25 and adjacent the ends 'of each pair of tanks so that they can lift the hangers. ofi the shoes 28 when thelatter approach the end of one tank, move them forward and drop them onto' another shoe at the beginning of the next tank and so on.

For engaging the hangers the device shown more particularly in Figures 8, 9 and 10 may conveniently be employed. This device comprises two links 3737 each pivotally connected at one end to the chain 35. The free ends of the links 37-37 are connected together by athird link 38 of curved or arcuate form. Gravity causes-the links on their upward movement to assume the position shown in full lines in Figure 8. 1

When the chain reaches the'top of its path .maintained in a substantially horizontal position so that the ends of the bars may be supported thereby during the upward, transverse and downward movement of the chain... As the links, as shown in Figure 9, are arranged -to one side' of the chain, a lug 39 is formed on each link 37, which lug extends across the chain and is provided with.

.a set-screw 40 by which the range of movement of the link relatively to the chain may be adjusted.

The chains 25 and 35 are operated in synchronism so that as the links 37, 38 move upwardly or downwardly towards the chain 25 they meet one or other of the shoes on the latter. For this purpose the driving mechanism shown in Figures 5 and 11 is provided. This comprises a sprocket wheel 41 on a shaft 42 on which is mounted agear 43 meshing with a gear 44 on the shaft 45. On this shaft 45 is another sprocket wheel 46 which drivesa chain 47 passing around a sprocket wheel' 48 on a shaft 49. The latter not only carries one of the sprockets 36 but also another sprocket (not shown) for a chain 49 by means of which the ad-' jacent conveyor chain 35 and its associated parts are driven.

While the vertically arranged conveyor chains 35 receive their driving power from the chain 25, the latter is driven from a shaft 50 which carries a worm wheel 51. This worm wheel is in turn driven by a worm 52 on a shaft 53 carrying a sprocket 54 connectedby a chain 55 to asprocket 56' on a shaft 57. This shaft 57 carries a second sprocket 58 driven by a chain 59 passing round a sprocket 60 on a shaft 61 driven by a motor 62.

Extending longitudinally across the electro-strike tank 18 and the electro-plating tank 20 are a series of bars 63 connected at .their ends to bus bars 64 to which current is supplied by bar 65. From these bars are suspended anodes 66 of the metal to be de-' posited.

ent case. It will also be evident that the- The solutions employed in the flcleani ng tank 15, light acid dip tank 16, electro-strike tank 18 and electrolating tank 20 will be selected to suit the c aracter of work to be.

timeof treatment in each stepof the process purpose limiting the patent granted other-- wise that necessitated by the I claim as my invention 1. An electroplating apparatus comprising a plurality of tanks, a hanger for supporting articles to be plated, a bus-bar parallel to the tanks, shoes adapted to slide along the bus-bar and also support-one end prior art.

of said hanger, a conveyor for moving said shoes along said bus-bar and a second conveyor adapted to lift the hanger off its supporting shoe and out of theadjacent tank and drop it onto one of said shoes and into the next tank.

2. An electroplating apparatus comprising a row of tanks, a hanger for supporting articles 'to be plated, an endless I chain on each side of said row of tanks, hanger supporting members on said chain, further endless chains vertically arranged on eachside of said row of tanks at the adjacent ends of two tanks, a pair of links pivotally connected to each of the second pair of chains and a third curved link connecting the first two links, whereby the third link is maintained in hanger supporting position during the upward, horizontal and downward movement of the second pair of chains, and means for operating said sets of chains in synchronism whereby the links on the sec-' .ond pair of chains lift the hanger off its supporting members and, out'of the adjacent tank and dropping it onto said supporting members and intothe next tank.

3. An electroplating apparatus comprisinga row of tanks, a hanger for supporting articles to .be plated, a horizontal conve or on each side of said row'ofv tanks, en ess chains vertically arranged on each side of said row of tanks at the adjacent ends of two tanks, a pair of links pivotally connected to each of said chains, and a third curved link connecting the first two links, whereby the third link is maintained in hanger supporting position during the upward, llOI'lZQlltfll and downward movement of the chains, and means for operating said conveyor and chains in synchronism whereby said links lift the hanger off said conveyor and out of the adjacent tank and drop it onto said conveyor and into the next tank.

4. An electroplatin apparatus comprising a plurality of hi s, a hanger for supporting articles to be plated, means for thereby allowing the lower portion of the 10 trans orting the hanger downwardly, horihanger to dipinto said plurality of tanks zonta 1y, upwardly, horizontally and downsuccessively and permit the :passage of curwardly means for supplying current to the rent therethrough only whilst the hanger is hanger during the'first mentioned horizonin its lowermost position. J

tal movement, and means for breaking the In testimony whereof I have hereunto 15 circuit adjacent the beginning of the upsubscribed my name.-

ward movement and closing the circuit adl jacent the end of the downward movement, CONSTANTINE-G. MILLER. 

